Prior to the twenty-first century, people used to navigate around unfamiliar environments through the use of printed maps. Such maps varied in size and detail presented. For example, a map for a state might show only major highways in the state, while a map for a city might show every street in the city. Unfortunately, such maps were cumbersome to use, especially while driving and in low visibility conditions, and became outdated due to changes in street names, newly constructed roads, changes in traffic patterns, etc.
In the late 1990s, the global positioning system (GPS) became operational. GPS enabled a person to determine his or her geographic location by using an electronic device equipped to receive signals from a group of GPS satellites. Dedicated navigational devices became commonplace, with display screens and audio capability to direct users via turn-by-turn navigation backed by GPS. More recently, smartphones with GPS capability have become available. Unlike standalone devices, GPS-equipped smartphones may be automatically kept up to date with the latest navigational data. GPS-equipped smartphones are quickly replacing standalone GPS units, though standalone GPS units have the advantage of working in areas without a data signal to supply navigational data.